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 Sam Adams Here at qPDX we really do like to have fun. That often means that our coverage is entertainment and event heavy. But 2009 saw plenty of news headlines as well. I’m sure it will come as no surprise to anyone what scandal fills the top spot, but let’s run down 4 more items as well before we repeat the obvious.
5 – Media drama, deaths and rebirths
In the beginning of 2009 the implosion of Oregon’s first and only LGBT print publication, Just Out seemed imminent. They had just made an unpopular recommendation to oust the sex scandal embattled Mayor Adams followed by the departure of several important art and editorial staffers over pay disputes. But the publication survived, albeit with a much tinier staff. Despite a so-called dying journalism industry several new local queer publications started up around this time. Indeed, though qPDX has was created in 2005, we, too, had to reinvent ourselves following my layoff from OregonLive.com. And I think independence suits us.
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 Co-owners Jeneen Doumitt and Evy Cowan Even in a bad economy people usually continue to drink and to have sex. Just as bars as full as they ever were, so too can a burgeoning sex toy shop thrive in the downturn.
At least that is the hope of Evy Cowan and Jeneen Doumitt, two long time friends, who just opened, She Bop, an adult boutique specializing in non-toxic body safe toys, books, DVDs and gifts for women. The bright and airy store, open 7 days a week from 11 to 7, set just off Mississippi Ave (909 N Beech) is a friendly and close in alternative to the fantastic, but out of the way It’s My Pleasure.
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 Katastrophe performs tonight at PSU as part of TDOR Today is the 11th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to mourn and memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.
he event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.
Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgender — that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant — each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgender people.
Portland events will take place tonight at 6pm at Portland State University in the MultiCultural Center – SMSU 228.
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 President Obama signs the Hate Crimes Prevention Act Finally more than just lip service from our overly-nice President Obama today as he signs the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law.
The new law gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
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 DJ Airick spinning it at Blow Po Blow Pony, the popular dance party for alterna-queers in town has been in the spotlight more for its recent drama than its good times but hopefully that’s a’changin’ when the pony stables up at its new digs at Branx (320 SE Second) this Saturday.
Despite all the drama, the party must canter on. It is time to turn our attention to the excitement that a new, larger space holds for Blow Pony. The highly sexual horse is back on the trail with a “Don’t call it a comeback!” mantra that promises tranny-on-tranny action, pocket dykes, limp-wristed bears and any other queer thing you can dream up Saturday, August 29.
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 Still from 'The Aggressives' San Francisco’s Transgender Film Festival seeks entries for its 2009 Festival, November 6th and 7th. The festival accepts narrative, documentary, experimental, animated films and music videos. All work should be created by transgender/genderqueer people. All work submitted this year must be 10 minutes or under!
Tranny Fest was founded in 1997 and is the nation’s first transgender/genderqueer film festival. In the 12 years since, we have exhibited groundbreaking, provocative, outrageous, courageous, moving and innovative works that show the complexity of lives lived on the transgender/genderqueer spectrum. Tranny Fest is co-presented by Fresh Meat Productions.
 Blow Pony has become one of the most popular queer nights in town Last night saw the first Blow Pony since the Pride weekend violence (of which Blow Pony was, sadly, the epicentre) and the muddle of police-ness that followed, so of course QPDX.com went down to Casey’s/The Eagle to check out what was going down. This Blow Pony went down without a hitch – but questions are being raised as to what can and will happen next, and despite the fact that on the surface, all is well, a lot of questions are being raised and right now, everything feels iffy.
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 Queer Town Hall in Portland, OR It’s been a few days, but I’d like to take the time to share the results of the Queer Town Hall that happened last thursday at the Q Center on Mississippi. The Queer Town Hall was a project organized by a bunch of folks in our community as a “response” of sorts to the recent acts of violence and inadequate police response that became especially evident over Pride Weekend this year.
Town Hall organizers aim to create a space for discussion and the sharing of information and resources to empower us to engage with each other and the authorities in a different, and hopefully safer, way.
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 Perez Hilton is a famous gay blogger So allegedly, gay celeb blogger/gossip queen Perez Hilton was assaulted by the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am. Will.I.Am denies any allegations – and so they have taken it to the streets internet to resolve this dispute…and what follows is a messy frolic of tweeting/not tweeting, timing, and the importance of not forgetting the special T word, traffic.
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 SuperGay stampedes for Rainbow Truth Wow, thats all I can say. Wow 1: I can still come up with a meaningful alliteration after this weekend, and wow 2: Portland Queer Pride 2009 was AMAZING.
A year of firsts: The first time QPDX.com has had their own parade “float”, the first year there has been 110+ groups in the parade, the first time SuperGay had a proper outfit, the first time I decided to go for FIVE straight days of Pride partying.
Five days. Five outfits. A kajillion drinks, a million miles on my bicycle, a shit ton of parties, SuperGay jumps, fake beards, hair dying extravaganzas, automation-style condom gluing, flyering, banner making, gender bendering, raindbow deco-ing stampede of gayness. But sadly, on the edge of all the celebrations: tinges of violences, aggression, and disrespect by the police. I’m still waiting for the dust to settle.
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